Used often as a groundcover or an edging plant, liriope is popular for good reason. It stays green year-round in many climates, produces pretty blue or white flowers, and is about as tough a plant as you’ll hope to meet. Its dense tufts of almost-evergreen, broadly grassy leaves are often striped. Stiff stems bear tight […]
Also called fan flower, the abundant blooms of Scaevola are borne along fleshy deep green stems. This Australian native is heat- and drought-tolerant so it’s a good plant to endure in the heat of the summer. The trailing and cascading habit makes them a natural choice for mixed containers and hanging baskets.
Ivy is an old-school houseplant that’s still trendy thanks to its easy-care nature, elegant look, and versatile stems. Ivy comes in varying shades of green, as well as marked with silver, white, or chartreuse. There is a wide variety of leaf shapes, too, so it’s easy to get just the look for your home decor.
Bold color foliage provides color for this trailing vine. An excellent foliage contrast in containers, baskets, window boxes or garden beds. Produces small, flowers in warm tropical conditions, but is mainly sold as a foliage plant for accent.
Zonal geraniums get their name from the “zone” striping through the middle of their leaves. The colors are red, coral, white, and pink. This physical attribute is a helpful way to distinguish a zonal geranium from other types of Geranium. Zonal geraniums can live up to 3 years. However, you can make it to live
The dianthus plant is the quintessential cottage flower. Dianthus is treasured for its grasslike, blue-green foliage and abundant starry flowers, which are often spicily fragrant. Dianthus plants range from tiny creeping groundcovers to 30-inch-tall cut flowers, which are a favorite with florists. Plants are often pink in color, and the petals have a fringed look
Clematis is one of the showiest vines you can grow. With many types of shapes and colors, these plants dress up any kind of structure they climb. Bloom time ranges from late spring to fall, depending on the type and variety. With proper planning, it’s possible to have clematis blooms throughout the growing season. You
While these plants don’t have the most interesting or showy blooms, they easily make up for it with their stunning, jewel-tone foliage. Alternanthera make a wonderful accent in any garden setting and can even work well as showy houseplants. Also called Joseph’s coat, plant them in full sun for the best and brightest foliage colors.
Campanula are such easy-to-grow plants and are perfect for a low-maintenance cottage garden. The blossoms are generally composed of five petals fused at the base, creating the trademark bell shape. Depending on the variety, sometimes these bells face upward on little mats of foliage, or they may dangle in the breeze, suspended in pendulous clusters.
Few flowers offer such an interesting form and variety of hues as the fuchsia. The unique blossoms resemble layered swirling, brightly colored skirts. These plants can bloom throughout the growing season and have the added benefit of attracting hummingbirds. Plant them in a hanging basket near a garden bench to attract the birds.